Method of producing measured lengths of slide fastener chain



y 1955 J. G. SOAVE METHOD OF PRODUCING MEASURED LENG 0F SLIDE FASTENERCHAIN Filed Sept. 22, 1953 INVENTOR JOHN G. SOAVE BY g/ I ATTORNEYUnited States Patent METHOD OF PRODUCING MEASURED LENGTHS F SLIDEFASTENER CHAIN John G. Soave, Long Island City, N. Y., assignor toWaldes Kohinoor, Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application September 22, 1953, Serial No. 381,553

2 Claims. (Cl. 164-17) This invention relates to improvements in slidefastener manufacture, and more particularly to an improved andsimplified method of producing measured lengths of slide fastener chainfrom a continuous fastener chain.

As explained in my prior application Ser. No. 375,437, filed August 21,1953, it is common practice, in producing slide fasteners or so-calledzippers in quantity for various articles such as trouser flies, to formindividual fastener chains, which together with the slider and end stopor end stops constitute the fastener, from a continuous fa:-

tener chain supplied in roll form on a reel or spool, as

the term continuous fastener chain (or continuous chain) is employed inthe art to designate a long length of two interconnected stringers, i.e. fastener tapes carrying uniformly spaced, interlocking fastenerelements along their adjacent beaded edges for the entire length of saidtapes. From such a continuous chain, measured lengths of fastener chainconforming to the length of the article being produced are either sewnto the article prior to severance from the continuous chain and arethereupon severed therefrom, or individual measured lengths of fastenerchain are severed from the continuous chain and thereupon sewn to thearticle or are stored for future use.

The practice of the aforesaid method resulted in slide fastener chainshaving fastener elements attached thereto for their entire length, i. e.fastener chains devoid of element-free extensions or length portionswhich are desirable for the purpose of applying the fastener end stopsor in sewing the end or ends of the fastener chain in the folds of anarticle such as the waistband of a pair of trousers without damage tothe needle, as might result from the needle striking one of the fastenerelements attached to the end of the fastener being sewn. To over- Whilesatisfying the requirements of quantity produc-.

tion of fastener chains having an element-free extension at one endthereof, the aforesaid Soave method does not sufiice for the productionof measured lengths of fastener chain for applications requiring anelement-free extension at one end thereof, usually the bottom end, and asimple short-length gap between the fastener elements thereof locatedadjacent the other or top end, and more or less precisely at the pointwhere the needle passes through the fastener tapes in their attachmentto a garment waistband, for example.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide amethod of producing from continuous chain a succession of measuredlengths of fastener chain each having an element-free extension at oneend and an element-free gap adjacent the other end thereof, and more2,708,968 Patented May 24, 1955 particularly at the point or place nearsaid other end through which the needle passes through the fastenertapes in securing the corresponding end of the fastener to a garmentwaistband as aforesaid.

A more particular object of the invention is to adapt the methoddisclosed in my aforesaid prior application Serial No. 375,437 to theproduction of measured lengths of fastener chain, each characterized byan element-free extension at the bottom end and an element-free gapadjacent the top end thereof.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a method ofproducing, from a continuous chain consisting of laterally spaced tapesof indeterminate length and which carry along their adjacentlongitudinal edges rows of oppositely disposed and uniformly spacedfastener elements having coupling heads which are interengaged so as tosecure the tapes together throughout their entire length, a successionof measured lengths of fastener or zipper chain, each invariablycharacterized by an elementfree extension at one end and an element-freespace func tioning as a needle gap which is located adjacent the otherend, but which is spaced from said other end by a small number orinterengaged elements, which latter are retained for the purpose offacilitating the handling of the individual fastener chain and theinsertion of its top end into the trouser waistband, for example, ofinsuring exact alignment of the upper ends of the continuous stringersmaking up the fastener chain at all times, and of in effect providing abridge top stop for the slider upon the latter being assembled with thechain so as to provide a final fastener unit. V

The above and other obects of the invention and their manner ofattainment will be explained in the following, reference being had tothe accompanying drawingv in which the single figure diagrammaticallyillustrates the procedure of producing from continuous fastener chainmeasured lengths of slide fastener or zipper chain each characterized byan element-free extension at one end, usually the bottom end, and by asimple gap between the elements adjacent the other or top end thereoffor accommodating the needle employed to sew the fastener chain to thearticle for which it is ultimately intended.

Referring to the drawing, reference character C designates a length ofcontinuous chain supplied as from a roll thereof (not shown) and feedingfrom left to right. The fastener chain C is of conventional constructionand comprises two laterally spaced tapes 10, 11 carrying along theiradjacent longitudinal edges, which are usually beaded, rows ofoppositely disposed and uniformly spaced fastener elements 12, 13, whosecoupling heads are interengaged so as to secure the tapes togetherthroughout their entire length. As explained in my aforesaid priorapplication Serial N 0. 375,437, measured lengths of chain designated bythe reference characters X, X1, X2, X3, and so on, corresponding to thedesired measured lengths of fastener chain being produced, are drawnfrom the roll of continuous chain C with a step-by-step movement, andsaid drawn-off lengths are advanced along a fixed path of movement. Inprogressing along said path, the continuous chain travels beneath anelement-removing punch D and a cut-off blade or punch E, which punchesare shown to be spaced a fixed distance apart. During each interval thatthe chain C is at rest, the punches D and E are operated, preferably insynchronism. The punch D serves to remove a plurality of the fastenerelements 12, 13 from a predetermined portion a of the chain, which poltion has length corresponding to that of the element-free extensiondesired to be provided in the fastener chain being produced and, byvirtue of the position of the punch D with relation to the feed motionof the chain, is invariably located immediately forwardly of the line ofseparation In between the drawn-off lengths of chain then hav ing thepositions with respect to the punch corresponding to the positions ofthe drawn-off length X1 and the next following drawn-off length X2.Simultaneously with said element-removing operation, the cut-off punch Eoperates to sever the most advanced drawn-off length X from thecontinuous chain C along a line of severance corresponding to the lineof separation b between said most advanced drawn-off length and the nextfollowing drawn-off length X1. Thus, each operation of the punches D andE results in the production of a desired length of fastener chain havingan element-free extension at one end thereof, which may be taken as thebottom end.

To adapt the aforesaid method of my prior application to the productionof measured lengths of fastener chain having an element-free needle gapadjacent its top end, in addition to the aforesaid element-freeextension at its bottom end, it suffices to remove but a few (two orthree) of the uppermost fastener elements 12, 13 from each fastenerchain being produced. The removed elements need not be and preferablyare not the topmost elements, since the point at which the sewing needlepasses through the chain tapes is usually somewhat lower than saidtopmost elements. Hence, the two or three elements removed may be thosespaced from the top end of the fastener chain a distance taken up by thetopmost two or three elements, which latter are retained in theirinterengaged relation. As to the retention of said topmost elements,such is desirable as they function to hold the topmost ends of thefastener tapes together and hence they accurately align the tapes at alltimes, they properly relate the tapes during the insertion of the topend of the fastener into the garment fold or waistband and during sewingthereof to said garment or waistband, and, finally, they serve as abridge top stop for the slider upon assembly thereof with the chain toprovide the finished fastener.

According to the invention, the removal of the small number of fastenerelements as required to provide the desired needle gap adjacent the topend of each length of fastener chain being produced is effected asfollows: The aforesaid element-removing punch D is provided with anextension portion D also serving as an elementremoving punch and whichhas length (as measured in the direction of fastener length)corresponding to the length of the element-free gap desired to beprovided in the fastener chain being produced and which is moreoverspaced rearwardly of the punch D a distance occupied by two or threeelements just to the rear of the aforesaid line of separation b1 betweenthe drawn-off lengths X1 and X2. That is to say, the punch combination Dand D always operates on two consecutive drawn-off lengths of chaincorresponding to those designated X1 and X2. Hence, by the aforesaidpunch arrangement, each operation of the combined punches D and Dresults not only in the removal of fastener elements 12, 13 from theportion a of the chain located immediately forwardly of the line ofseparation between each two consecutive drawn-off lengths of chain Cadvancing along the path of chain movement, but also in the removal of asmall number of elements from a short-length portion designated g of thenext following drawn-off length of the chain, which short-length portionhas length correspond ing to the length of the gap desired to beprovided in the fastener chain being produced and is spaced rearwardlyfrom said line of separation the distance occupied by the two or threeelements to be retained at the top end of said fastener chain. Thedescribed arrangement of elementremoving and cut-off punches alsoinsures that every measured length of chain severed by the cut-off punchE is provided adjacent its most advanced end with an element-free gapcorresponding to the gap g and with an element-free extensioncorresponding to the portion a at its rearward end, thereby to achievethe objectives of the invention as outlined in the foregoing.

By removing, removed, removal, etc., as used herein in stating thefunction of the punches D and D is meant that the coupling-head ends ofthe interengaged fastener elements are cut through by said punches tothe extent that the coupling-jaw ends of said elements either themselvesdisengage or drop away from the tapes or that they may be simplydisengaged therefrom as by means of a wire brush, a jet of air, and thelike.

As many changes could be made in the practice of the above describedmethod without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intendedthat all matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. The method of producing measured lengths of slide fastener chain,each having an element-free extension at its bottom end and anelement-free gap adjacent its top end, from a supply of continuousfastener chain consisting of laterally spaced tapes carrying along theiradjacent longitudinal edges rows of oppositely disposed, uniformlyspaced fastener elements having coupling heads which are interengaged soas to secure the tapes together throughout their entire length, whichcomprises the steps of drawing a succession of measured lengths of chaincorresponding to the desired measured length of fastener chain beingproduced from the supply thereof with a step-bystep movement, advancingsaid drawn-off lengths of chain along a predetermined path of movement,as said drawnoif lengths progress along said path and during theinterval between each two drawing-off operations cutting away thecoupling-head ends thereof from the interengaged fastener elements oftwo short-length portions of the chain thereby to effect removal of thefastener elements carried by said portions, one of said portions beinglocated immediately forwardly of the line of separation between twoconsecutive drawn-off lengths of chain and having length correspondingto that of the element-free extension desired to be provided at thebottom of the finished measured lengths of fastener being produced, andthe other of said portions being located in the following one of saidtwo consecutive drawn-01f lengths of chain and having length and beingspaced rearwardly by a small number of retained elements from said lineof separation between said lengths a distance corresponding to thelength of the element-free gap and to the spacing thereof from the topend of said finished measured lengths of fastener being produced,respectively, and simultaneously with said cutting-off operationsevering the most advanced drawn-off length of chain having elementsremoved therefrom as aforesaid from the next following length along aline of severance corresponding to the line of separation between saidlengths.

2. The method of producing measured lengths of slide fastener chain,each having an element-free extension at its bottom end and anelement-free gap adjacent its top end, from a supply of continuousfastener chain consisting of laterally spaced tapes carrying along theiradjacent longitudinal edges rows of oppositely disposed, uniformlyspaced fastener elements having coupling heads which are interengaged soas to secure the tapes together through their entire length, whichcomprises the steps of drawing a succession of measured lengths of chaincorresponding to the desired measured length of fastener chain beingproduced from the supply thereof with a step-bystep movement, advancingsaid drawn-off lengths of chain along a predetermined path of movement,in the interval between each two drawing-off operations severing themost advanced drawn-off length of chain from the next following lengththereof along a line of severance corresponding to the line ofseparation therebetween, and simultaneously with said severing operationcutting away the coupling-head ends thereof from the interengagedfastener elements of two short-length portions of the chain which arelocated, respectively, in two consecutive drawn-off lengths of chaindisposed rearwardly of said most advanced length of chain, thereby toeffect removal of the fastener elements from said portions, one of saidportions being located immediately forwardly of the line of separationbetween said two consecutive drawn-01f lengths of chain and havinglength corresponding to the element-free extension desired to beprovided at the bottom end of the finished measured lengths of fastenerbeing produced, and the other of said portions having length and beingspaced rearwardly from said line of separation by a small number ofretained interengaged elements a distance corresponding to the length ofthe element-free gap and to the spacing thereof from the top end,respectively, of said finished measured lengths of fastener beingproduced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSChurchward Feb. 16, 1892 Campus Sept. 16, 1913 Landrock Oct. 16, 1934Moeller Aug. 16, 1938 Crane July 27, 1943 McDaniel Oct. 7, 1952

